Internet backers help entrepreneurs dream big

12:52 AM,
Feb. 22, 2013

Chris Gorski, a former Chevrolet advertising art director, sells shirts at the Rust Belt Market in Ferndale. Owners Chris and Tiffany Best have launched a 30-day, $20,000 fund-raising campaign on the website Kickstarter in an effort to expand their business.

Written by

Megha Satyanarayana
Detroit Free Press Staff Writer

When Chris and Tiffany Best decided to expand their Ferndale business a few months ago, they could have gone to a bank or maybe maxed out a credit card.

Instead, they turned to their customers and the Internet. The 2-year-old Rust Belt Market is in the early stages of a 30-day, $20,000 fund-raising campaign on Kickstarter, where people pledge money for rewards such as merchandise from market artists or the ability to host a large party in the remodeled space.

The funds would offset the costs of remodeling and adding days beyond Saturday and Sunday. If the owners meet their goal, they get the ...